Electric flasher.



G. W. HENRY, JR. ELECTRIC FLASHER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28, 1914.

Patented June 13, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1- (5-. W. HENRY, JR.

. ELECTRlC FLASHER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28', 1914.

Patented-June 13, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

GEORGE W. HENRY, JR, 015 PHILADELPHIA, YENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTItIC FLASHER.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1916.

Application filed. February 28, 1914. Serial No. 821,751.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. HENRY, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Electric Flashers of which the following is aspecification.

()ne object of my invention is to improve the construction of flashingmechanism for electric signs or pictures so as to insure accuracy inoperation.

A further object of the invention is to simplify the construction of aflasher used for this purpose and to provide for the ready assembling ofthe parts as will be fully described hereinafter, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a plan view of myimproved electric flasher; Fig. 2, is a side view partly in section;Fig. 3, is a left hand end view; Fig. 4, is a right hand end view; Fig.5, is a sectional View on the line a-a, Fig. 2; Fig. 6, is a perspectiveview of one of-the terminals; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the brushholder; Fig. 8, is a perspective view of one of the terminal plates;Fig. 9, is a perspective view of one of the notched disks: Figs. 10 and11 the views of a modification of the brush holder; and Fig. 12, is aview of another form of brush holder.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the base of the a aratus having, in thepresent instance, integral bearings 2 in which is mounted the shaft 8carrying the notched disks 1 and the plain disk 4*. The electric motor 6is mounted in saddles 5 and fastened to the base by a strap 7 To one endof the armature shaft 8 of the motor is attached a hub 9 to which aresecured blades 10 forming a fan which acts as a governor for the motor.The blades are made in two sections, as illustrated in Fig. 4. Eachsection is made of sheet metal bent as shown, and rivets or bolts securethe sections to the hub 9. When the fan is assembled the four blades arespaced a given distance apart, but this construction of the fan may bemodified if desired. ()n the opposite end of the armature shaft 8 is aworm,

which meshes with a worm wheel 10 on a vertical shaft 11. The two shaftshave their hearings in a casing 16 which incloses the gearing. On thelower end of the vertical shaft 11 is a worm 12 which meshes with a wormwheel 13 having a long hub 1-1, as shown in Fig. 5; the hub and theshaft 11 have their bearings in a casing 17 inclosing the gearing. Onone, end of the hub is a socket 15 into which extends one end of theshaft 3 which is loosely secured therein by a pin 15. ,By thisconstruction the motor need not be accurately alined with the shaft 3.

The disks 1 and 1 are made as shown'in Fig. 9, having a large opening inthe center to clear the shaft 3 and spaced a given distance apart bysleeves 18 through which pass bolts 19 extending through heads 20 ofnonconducting material'at each end of the shaft 3, as shown in Fig. 2.These heads are secured to the shaft by pins in the pres ent instance,making a rigid construction.

The bearings 2 are extended and are notched at 21 to receive the twoparallel rods 22 which are held to the bearings by nuts, or othersuitable fastenings, and mounted on the rods are contact carriers 23 ofnon-conducting material. The forward bearings 21 of these contactcarriers are of such alength that one bearing abuts another and, whenthey are assembled on the rods, the nuts 25 firmly secure severalcarriers on the rod. The upper end of each contact carrier is shoulderedas at 27 to receive the U-shaped contact 26, and mounted on each contactcarrier is a terminal plate 28 having wings 29 which extend over thesides of the contacts 26, there being a U-shaped extension 30 to whichthe wire is attached by soldering and bending over the flanges thereof.A screw 31 confines the plate 28 to its contact carrier. This makes asimple and inexpensive device, which is easily adjusted and which can bequickly duplicated when necessary. The contacts are U-shaped in form, asillustrated in Fig. 6, and the ends which form the brushes, are benttoward each other. The disks & and 4 travel between the brushes of eachcontact, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. By notching the plates 1, asillustrated in Fig. 3, the contacts are made and broken as the shaft 3is rotated and by notching the plates in any given manner the flashingof the electric lights can be controlled so that a picture or sign canbe illuminated as desired.

In assembling the disks on the shaft, I make the openings in the disksconsiderably larger than the shaft and the heads are made of insulatingmaterial, so that when the disks are coupled to the heads as shown, theyare insulated from the shaft, and I lOO make each of the contactcarriers of insulating material, so that when they are assem bled on therods, they are insulated from. the rods, and from the frame. The contactcarrier of insulating material and spacing sleeves may be made integral,as shown in Fig. 7, or the contact carriers 23 may be of flat insulatingmaterial, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, and metallic sleeves 24* mayextend from one contact carrier to the other. In this instance, pins 27are used to support the contacts 26 in place of the shoulders on thecarrier. In Fig. 12, I have shown a fiat carrier 24: of non-conductingmaterial having a single square hole to receive a square supporting rod.

A device of the character above described mustbe accurate in order togive satisfactory results and with my improved construction the cost ofmanufacture is greatly reduced. The parts can be assembled with butlittle machine work and it can be installed with any number of disks,according to the picture or sign which it is desired to produce 1nlights.

I claim:

1. The combination of a base having bearings; a shaft mounted in thebearings; a plain disk and a series of notched disks, said disks beingspaced apart on the shaft and insulated therefrom; a rod runningparallel with the shaft; contact carriers of nonconducting materiallocated on the rod, one contact carrier abutting another; and means forholding the contacts together and on the rod; contacts secured to eachcarrier and engaging their respective disks, those engaging the notcheddisks being located in line with the notches; and means for turning theshaft.

2. The combination of a base; bearings thereon; a shaft mounted in thebearings; a plain disk and notched disks located on the shaft; means forspacing the disks apart; two parallel rods, also mounted in thebearings; a series of carriers mounted on the rods; means for lockingthe carriers together; contacts mounted on each carrier and bearing onthe disks, those engaging the notched disks being located in line withthe notches; and means for rotating the shaft.

3. The combination of a base; bearings thereon; a shaft; two heads onsaid shaft; a plain disk and a series of notched disks having opencenters and secured to said heads and insulated from the shaft; meansfor spacing the disks apart; a rod running parallel with the shaft;insulated contact carriers on the. rod; and a U-shaped contact on eachcarrier, said contacts being made of sheet metal and having theirendsturned in toward each other to form brushes and place, said terminalplates having means for connecting the wires thereto; and means forrotating the shaft.

5. The combination of a contact carrier; means for supporting thecarrier; said carrier having a shouldered portion; a U- shaped contactpassing around the carrier and resting on the shoulders; a terminalplate having means for holding the contact in place and having means forsecuring the Wire thereto.

6. The combination of a base; bearings thereon notched at the upper end;a shaft mounted in the bearings; a plain disk and a series of notcheddisks spaced apart and locked on the shaft; two parallel rods resting.in the notches of the bearings and secured thereto; a series'of contactcarriers on the rods; U-shaped contacts mounted on the contact carriersand having inturned ends bearing against the disks near theirperipheries; terminal plates having lips extending over the rear ends ofthe contact carriers and having a U-shaped extension to engage the endof a wire; means for securing the plate to the contact carrier, thussecuring the carrier to the contacts; and means for driving the shaft.

7. The combination of a base, bearings thereon; a shaft mounted in thebearings; means for driving said shaft; heads of insulating material onsaid shaft; a plain disk and. a series of notched disks having opencenters and secured to the said heads and clear of the shaft; a rod onthe bearings; carriers of insulating material on the rod; and a U-shapedcontact on each carrier hear ing against a disk near its periphery.

In testimony whereof, I have signed 'my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE W. HENRY, JR. lVitne-sses Var. E. SHUPE, IV. A. BARR.

